


The Emperor's Gift

by FesteringSilence, White_Rainbow



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Demon Resurrection, Demon!Veers, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 22:31:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11907549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FesteringSilence/pseuds/FesteringSilence, https://archiveofourown.org/users/White_Rainbow/pseuds/White_Rainbow
Summary: Thrawn is mourning the loss of Veers after the Battle of Hoth. The Emperor brings him into his throne room, Thrawn assumes it is to be removed from his position as Grand Admiral, but the Emperor has a gift for him...





	The Emperor's Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Follow us on tumblr: [White Rainbow](http://white-rainbowff.tumblr.com/) and [FesteringSilence](http://festeringsilence.tumblr.com/)  
> 

Thrawn stood listlessly in the dark chambers of Palpatine’s throne room. He did not exactly recall when he had arrived. The last thing he remembered was the Royal Guards coming into his quarters and pulling him from his bed.

He had not left it in days.

The galaxy was far emptier without Maximilian Veers since his death on Hoth. Many had sent Thrawn their condolences laced with praise of Veers’ last heroic hours. He had traded his life to win the day.

It should have brought Thrawn comfort. He knew falling in love with an Imperial General could end this way. He found out quickly nothing could have prepared him for the news. He would never see Max’s cocky smile again nor that boyish glimmer in his eye. He would never again hear that cool confident lilt in his lover’s voice…

Veers was gone forever.

Thrawn supposed, standing here in front of Palpatine, he would soon be discharged. His heart was not with the Empire anymore. His heart joined the ashes of Veers, which was spread across the Hoth wastelands.

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” Emperor Palpatine greeted. The hood of his cloak hid the Emperor’s features save for the yellow glow of his sith eyes. “The loss of our Major General has taken a toll on you it seems.”

Thrawn’s eyes remained downcast. He had not used his voice in days. He did not trust it now.

“It is curious to see you in this state, Grand Admiral,” the Emperor said, his head tilting to one side.   
Thrawn waited for the Emperor’s declaration that his services were no longer needed. He wondered where he would go, now that both the Chiss Ascendancy and the Empire no longer had a place for him.

Perhaps they would set him down on the planet where they found him dressed in animal skins. Perhaps he would be exiled once again.

“It is even more curious that you lack faith in your Emperor. I sense that you believe the Empire will discard you on some remote planet as your beloved brethren did. You could not be more wrong. I brought you here today to provide you with a gift.”

Thrawn’s eyes raised.

“Ah…” the Emperor steepled his fingers. “Are you interested in my gift, Mitth’raw’nuruodo?”

Thrawn was in no mood for games. His voice was dry and gravelly. “I will accept whatever my Emperor gives me.”

Palpatine leaned forward, his grin filled with ghoulish glee. “Oh, I’m sure you will… Guards, bring in Thrawn’s prize.”

The side chamber door opened.

The rattle of chains and feral growls echoed through the throne room.

Thrawn kept his hands tucked behind his back, his fists clenching.

Was this some sort of Sith trickery? Unleashing a beast to devour the broken grand admiral for his amusement?

Four scarlet-clad guards guided an obsidian platform into the room where a horned beast was chained.

No…not a beast…

The world spun around Thrawn.

“M…Max…?”

An inhuman roar erupted from behind the muzzle fixated to Veers’ lower face. Long, black horns jutted from his head, curving backwards. As Veers whipped his head back and forth, Thrawn saw the bony appendages curve along the length of this back. He thrashed wildly against the heavy chains wrapped around his arms and legs. He tugged at the metal collar fastened around his neck, chained to the front of the platform keeping him on his knees. His thick muscles bulged with strain, veins of black and green swelling against his ghastly pale skin. His hazel eyes pulsated with a sickly green glow, glazed with blind fury, wide with confusion.

“What is this?” Thrawn asked, his voice barely coming out as a whisper.

Palpatine rose from his throne and walked towards the platform.

Veers’ demonic eyes locked onto Palpatine and he lunged against his bindings at the Emperor with a ravenous growl. Palpatine seemed unperturbed, standing just far enough away from Veers to be safe, but close enough that the Emperor’s robes billowed at the creature’s furious breath.

“We both lost something when General Veers died, Mitth’raw’nuruodo,” Palpatine said, his fingers caressing the leather muzzle of the captured beast. “You lost your partner and I lost a valuable asset to the Empire. It is beneficial to both of us that I pull Veers from the depths of beyond to serve the galaxy once more.”

“I do not know what this is, but this is not your general nor is this my Max.”

“I would hope you would be more grateful, grand admiral,” the Emperor retorted with a cruel smile. “This is indeed Maximilian Veers. This demonic form is merely a side effect of using the Dark Side to pull General Veers’ soul back into the living world.”

Palpatine took a step back and swept a hand towards Veers. “I can assure you Max is in there. It is up to you to find him for us.”

For us…The thought of finding his Max in this demonic creature just so Palpatine could weaponize him made his stomach churn.

Still…if this truly is Max…Perhaps this is the only way I could have him back.

Thrawn walked towards the demon whose eyes were still fixated on Palpatine. Through the bars of the muzzle, Thrawn could see a pair of gleaming fangs, lips cracked and bleeding, tongue lolling as the creature let out a series of feral pants.

Thrawn positioned himself in the exact spot Palpatine had stood to keep a safe distance from the demon…

…then took a step closer.

The demon snapped his head towards Thrawn.

Even with his face half-obscured, Thrawn could see the pain and confusion in Veers’ enraged face. The wildness Thrawn had always known inside Veers’ heart was now open and exposed, a raw nerve, unbridled by the temperance of his former humanity.

Thrawn knew he should be afraid of this demon.

He knew that he should be repulsed.

Instead, his heart ached.

“Oh Max,” Thrawn said, quietly. “What did they do to you?”

Veers let out a quiet snarl as Thrawn knelt in front of him, his face mere inches from the demon’s.

“Ch’eo vur…” He reached out and touched the side of Veers’ cheek. Veers flinched and let out a low rumbling sound. Thrawn did not retreat, keeping his caresses slow and his voice low.

“Ch’ah am sah csah non.”

I am here now.

He continued to trace his fingers along the edge of the muzzle, along Veers’ feverish cheek. Veers’ broad chest heaved, every muscle taut and twitching, but he was no longer struggling. He was just…watching.

The murderous gleam in his eye was beginning to fade.

Thrawn maintained a reassuring tone, uttering soothing words in Cheunh and Basic. He let the demon know he was here, that he would let no one hurt him, that he would take care of him.

He was not sure if Max understood, but the words at least calmed him.

The demon let out a soft chuff and leaned into Thrawn’s cerulean hand.

Slowly, Thrawn leaned in and undid the bindings of the muzzle. He pulled away the leather guard to see a pair of nightmarish fangs with a frothing mouth. Veers seethed and snarled, but his noises were quieter, more cautious. Thrawn tossed aside the muzzle and cupped Veers’ face.

“Shhh…I am here…you will be alright…”

Thrawn half expected Palpatine to utter a word of caution. Instead, the Emperor had remained silent. Thrawn realized that the Emperor was merely watching the exchange as he would watch any sort of experiment play out.

If Veers had ripped out Thrawn’s throat right then and there, Palpatine would gather the results and keep them in mind for his next demonic resurrection.

The Emperor most likely had been waiting for a proper subject to test Darth Plagueis’ methods of resurrecting the dead.

Thrawn was unsure if he should be furious or grateful Palpatine saw fit to use his Max as his lab rat.

Thrawn blinked and realized that Veers was gazing intently at him. The intense green glow had faded and Thrawn could see the hazel hue return. The demon’s shoulders sagged and his breathing slowed.

“Th…Thrawn?”

The sound of his name on this demon’s tongue cut through Thrawn’s resolve. His hands shook, but he continued to run his thumbs along Veers’ cheeks.

This truly was Veers.

It was his Max.

But there was also an otherworldly echo to his voice, a tortured harmony.

Thrawn tried not to think of it. He focused on the deep cadence of Veers’ voice that he loved so much. He focused on the humanity that still lurked somewhere in this nightmarish creature. A humanity he was determined to bring to the surface.

“Yes,” Thrawn said, softly. “It’s me…”

“Fascinating…”

Emperor or no, the cold words earned Palpatine a deadly glare from the grand admiral. “Release him,” Thrawn said, coldly.

Palpatine’s eyes flared and his pink tongue slithered between his lips as if tasting the fury permeating off of the air surrounding Thrawn. “Of course, grand admiral.”

With a wave of Palpatine’s gnarled hand, the chains on Veers’ wrists and ankles fell apart, tinkling musically on the ground.

With a vicious roar, Veers lunged towards Palpatine, clawed arms extended towards the Sith’s throat. He was caught by the chain leash that still connected him to the platform. Veers fell back, only to rise and lunge forward again, swiping madly at the Emperor.

Palpatine merely tsked. “Grand admiral, if General Veers is to return to our fold I would suggest you start on taming that temper of his.” Palpatine raised a single finger and the muzzle flew back onto Veers’ face. The demon shrieked and clawed at it desperately, his eyes pleading at Thrawn.

The Emperor smirked. “You may unbind his leash and muzzle when you have returned to your quarters. Until then, for everyone’s safety, that shall remain on.”

Thrawn clenched his jaw and immediately removed the muzzle, throwing it back to the floor. He then swiftly grabbed Veers’ leash, unhooking it from the platform. “Shh…we are going home now,” he kept one hand on Veers’ cheek, quelling the rage that threatened to take the demon once again. “Come with me, ch’eo vur. It will be alright.”

The moment Veers’ eyes latched back to Thrawn’s scarlet orbs, the burning green embers in his eyes began to cool. His heavy breaths slowed.

As Thrawn stood up, Veers slowly rose to his full height, and although he now towered over Thrawn, the softness in the demon’s hard-edged face began to look something like Max again.

“You need not worry about him,” Thrawn said icily to the Emperor. “I will ensure he is battle-ready in due time. You shall have your weapon.”

“My weapon, Mitth’raw’nuruodo? I intended only to give you your husband back and ease your grief,” Palpatine said, his sneer only adding to the mockery in his tone.

Thrawn did not take the bait. He kept the leash slack and slipped and arm around Veers, guiding him from the room. “My grief will end, Emperor, when your new General and I seek revenge on the rebels who took Max away from me in the first place.”

As Thrawn exited the Throne room, he could hear the chilling hiss of satisfaction from the Emperor. “Excellent…”


End file.
